Professor: Cowboys Stadium design was unprepared to deal with ice; 'They should've seen it coming'

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According to a UT-Arlington professor, the injuries of seven people caused by ice falling at Cowboys Stadium could have been avoided if stadium designers considered design alternatives.

A Wednesday story on TheShorthorn.com stated that Guillermo Ramirez, a civil and environmental engineering assistant professor, said ice accumulation and preventative measures needed to be taken into account.

Many stadiums in northern states use barriers and heated roofs to prevent the sliding and formation of ice, features that engineers should have considered before construction, Ramirez said.

He also said structural diagnostics don’t exist that deal with ice disposal for the stadium’s design.

The problem is caused by the stadium’s unique shape and design, along with the reality the building wasn’t expected to deal with ice and snow, he said.

“However, they should’ve seen it coming,” he said. “They were not prepared for this formation, and I’m pretty sure you’ll see the league address it in the coming weeks.”

“You can bet there will be lawsuits and finger pointing,” Ramirez said. “The ice last week was rare, but it happens, and the stadium should’ve had barriers in place.”